Planning on living in Singapore? Find all the practical information you need to know in our expat city guide.
Our guide was written by Schuyler House and Sarah Moore and last published on Sunday 5th September 2010, it's the 3d edition.
Until the late 1800s, Singapore was a small, sleepy fishing village owned by the Malay Sultan Hussein of Johor. After the British East India Company led by Sir Stamford Raffles discovered its strategic value as a regional trading post in the early 1800s, the quaint fishing village quickly turned into a center of commerce and political importance for the thriving Southeast Asia trade economy. Despite ongoing conflict between other colonial powers, Singapore became a British Crown Colony in 1867, and colonial influences have since remained evident in architecture, education, and culture. Almost a century of economic prosperity followed, and Singapore developed rapidly into a major city with the influx of foreign investments and heavy immigration, largely from India, Malaysia, and China.
In the 1940s, however, Singapore suffered greatly during World War II as Japanese forces conquered the whole of Malaya, driving many of the British and other European colonists from the region. After just seven days of battle, Singapore fell, and British forces charged with protecting Singapore surrendered, commencing nearly 4 years of suffering under the Japanese.
…| Population | Singapore's 4.8 million plus population is approximately 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, and 8% Indian. The non-Singaporean community is very large, with 2008 government estimates citing over 1 million of Singapore's residents as non-citizens or non-permanent residents. |
|---|---|
| Size | 692.7km² |
| Currency | Singapore Dollar (SGD) |
| Language | While Singapore recognizes English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil as its four official languages, English remains the primary language spoken and written in business and education. Singapore English, or "Singlish," can be a bit confusing for the newcomer, but common colloquialisms and slang will soon become easily understood. |
| Time zone | GMT + 8 hours |
| Dialing code | +65 |
| Temperature | Tropical rainforest climate. Temperatures range year-round from 22 °C to 34 °C (72° to 93 °F), with a relative humidity of 60- 90%. The hottest months are June and July, while November to early January make up the cooler, but very wet monsoon season. |
| Electrics | 230V/50Hz, British three-pin rectangular socket |
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The full guide contains over 25 chapters of information covering all practical aspects of moving overseas; from fulfilling legal obligations through to choosing a home for your family. Written by expats, for expats, we do not give you the “official version”, we give you the “real version” and that’s exactly what you will need to have the best possible start to your new life in Singapore. You can purchase our Singapore guide by clicking on the links on the right-hand side of this page.
If you have a discount code you'll be able to enter it before you make your payment.
